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With this article we would like to deal the topic of castors and wheels, both for furniture and for swivel chairs. For many years, there have in fact been three standards defining test methods and requirements for wheels:
 

• EN 12527:1998              Test method and apparatus
• EN 12528:1998              Castors for furniture – Requirements
• EN 12529:1998              Castors for swivel chairs – Requirements

What is it about?

The standard EN 12527 specifies the test methods and apparatus to be used to check the performance of the castors and wheels. Remaining in the furniture area, two other technical standards refer to it, respectively if they are castors for swivel chairs and if they are castors for furniture. Both define the requirements, the cycles, the test loads, the tests and their sequence.
 
EN 12528: castors for furniture
The standard specifies the minimal dimensional requirements and divides the castors in different levels that refer to the load capacity:

Level	Load capacity (Newton)
1	100
2	200
3	300
4	400

Castors are also classified in 4 different types:

• type H (castors with hard tread, suitable for carpeted floors);
• type W (castors with soft tread, suitable for hard stone, wooden or tiled floors);
• type C (castors electrically conductive);
• type S (inclined axle castors).

 
Depending on the type of wheels, the standard defines which tests are applicable and their sequence:

TESTS according to EN 12527:1998	Castors type
Impact performance, clause 4.12	H – W – C - S
Electrical resistance, clause 4.4	C
Manual locking device, clause 4.6	With manual locking devices
Dynamic, clause 4.13	H – W – C - S
Rolling resistance, clause 4.15	H – W – C - S
Swivel resistance, clause 4.16	Swivel castors
Stem retention, clause 4.17	H – W – C - S
Static load, clause. 4.9	H – W – C - S

EN 12529: castors for swivel chairs
Also this standard defines minimum dimensional requirements and classifies the castors in 4 different types:

• type H (castors with hard tread, suitable for carpeted floors. The castors shall be one colour over the entire surface);
• type W (castors with soft tread, suitable for hard stone, wooden or tiled floors. This castors shall be of a clearly different colour on the wheel centre);
• type C (castors electrically conductive);
• type U (ruote con meccanismo di frenatura integrato).

 
Per each type of castors, the standard requires a list of applicable tests and their sequence:

TESTS according to EN 12527:1998	Castors type
Impact performance, clause 4.12	H – W – C - U
Electrical resistance, clause 4.4	C
Contact pressure, clause 4.10	H – W – C - U
Brake performance, clause 4.11	U
Dynamic, clause 4.13	H – W – C - U
Long distance running, clause 4.14	H – W – C - U
Rolling resistance, clause 4.15	H – W – C - U
Swivel resistance, clause 4.16	H – W – C - U
Brake performance, clause 4.11	U
Stem retention, clause 4.17	H – W – C - U
Static load, clause 4.9	H – W – C - U

These tests, according to both standard, are shared on 3 items.
 
All the three standards need revision as they were published more than 25 years ago.
They have been under discussion in CEN for some time now, but the situation is very complex because the methods contained in EN 12527:1998 are also used for castors utilized in different fields (industrial, medical, ...) on which the furniture technical committee has no possibility to work.
 


For info:
Arianna Visintin
0039 0432 747233
visintin@catas.com